I found this online and wanted to share. Please have tissue handy. I have made it a sticky because I think that everyone who wants to breed their dog should have to read this.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Editor's Note: The following story was received by me via a friend with Border Collies. Even though it is not specifically about Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, I chose to leave it as is. It is a very relevant story about what happens to dogs that are unplanned for. The author, Chris Benton, has given permission to reprint it here and permission for you to use and pass on to everyone. Her recommendation is that every person, who takes an obedience class or gets a puppy, should have a copy of this story. I agree with that recommendation. MzTook

My Name Is Sam
by Chris Benton

After I was discharged from the Navy, Jim and I moved back to Detroit to use our GI Bill benefits to get some schooling. Jim was going for a degree in Electronics and I, after much debating, decided to get mine in Computer Science. One of the classes that was a requirement was Speech.

Like many people, I had no fondness for getting up in front of people for any reason, let alone to be the center of attention as I stuttered my way through some unfamiliar subject. But I couldn't get out of the requirement, and so I found myself in my last semester before graduation with Speech as one of my classes.

On the first day of class our professor explained to us that he was going to leave the subject manner of our talks up to us, but he was going to provide the motivation of the speech. We would be responsible for six speeches, each with a different motivation. For instance our first speech's purpose was to inform. He advised us to pick subjects that we were interested in and knowledgeable about. I decided to center my six speeches around animals, especially dogs.

For my first speech to inform, I talked about the equestrian art of dressage. For my speech to demonstrate, I brought my German Shepherd, Bodger, to class and demonstrated obedience commands. Finally the semester was almost over and I had but one more speech to give. This speech was to take the place of a written final exam and was to count for fifty per cent of our grade. The speeches motivation was to persuade.

After agonizing over a subject matter, and keeping with my animal theme, I decided on the topic of spaying and neutering pets. My goal was to try to persuade my classmates to neuter their pets. So I started researching the topic. There was plenty of material, articles that told of the millions of dogs and cats that were euthanized every year, of supposedly beloved pets that were turned in to various animal control facilities for the lamest of reasons, or worse, dropped off far from home, bewildered and scared. Death was usually a blessing.

The final speech was looming closer, but I felt well prepared. My notes were full of facts and statistics that I felt sure would motivate even the most naive of pet owners to succumb to my plea. A couple of days before our speeches were due, I had the bright idea of going to the local branch of the Humane Society and borrowing a puppy to use as a sort of a visual aid. I called the Humane Society and explained what I wanted. They were very happy to accommodate me. I made arrangements to pick up a puppy the day before my speech.

The day before my speech, I went to pick up the puppy. I was feeling very confident. I could quote all the statistics and numbers without ever looking at my notes. The puppy, I felt, would add the final emotional touch. When I arrived at the Humane Society I was met by a young guy named Ron. He explained that he was the public relations person for the Humane Society.

He was very excited about my speech and asked if I would like a tour of the facilities before I picked up the puppy. I enthusiastically agreed. We started out in the reception area, which was the general public's initial encounter with the Humane Society. The lobby was full, mostly with people dropping off various animals that they no longer wanted Ron explained to me that this branch of the Humane Society took in about fifty animals a day and adopted out twenty.

As we stood there I heard snatches of conversation: "I can't keep him, he digs holes in my garden." "They such cute puppies, I know you will have no trouble finding homes for them." "She is wild, I can't control her." I heard one of Humane Society's volunteer explain to the lady with the litter of puppies that the Society was filled with puppies and that these puppies, being black, would immediately be put to sleep. Black puppies, she explained, had little chance of being adopted. The woman who brought the puppies in just shrugged, "I can't help it," she whined. "They are getting too big. I don't have room for them."

We left the reception area. Ron led me into the staging area where all the incoming animals were evaluated for adoptability. Over half never even made it to the adoption center. There were just too many. Not only were people bringing in their own animals, but strays were also dropped off. By law the Humane Society had to hold a stray for three days. If the animal was not claimed by then, it was euthanized, since there was no background information on the animal.

There were already too many animals that had a known history eagerly provided by their soon to be ex-owners. As we went through the different areas, I felt more and more depressed. No amount of statistics, could take the place of seeing the reality of what this throw-away attitude did to the living, breathing animal. It was over overwhelming.

Finally Ron stopped in front of a closed door. "That's it," he said, "except for this." I read the sign on the door. "Euthanization Area." "Do you want to see one?" he asked. Before I could decline, he interjected, "You really should. You can't tell the whole story unless you experience the end." I reluctantly agreed.

"Good," He said " I already cleared it and Peggy is expecting you." He knocked firmly on the door. It was opened immediately by a middle aged woman in a white lab coat. "Here's the girl I was telling you about," Ron explained. Peggy looked me over. "Well I'll leave you here with Peggy and meet you in the reception area in about fifteen minutes. I'll have the puppy ready." With that Ron departed, leaving me standing in front of the stern-looking Peggy.

Peggy motioned me in. As I walked into the room, I gave an audible gasp. The room was small and spartan. There were a couple of cages on the wall and a cabinet with syringes and vials of a clear liquid. In the middle of the room was an examining table with a rubber mat on top. There were two doors other than the one I had entered. Both were closed. One said to the incinerator room, and the other had no sign, but I could hear various animal noises coming from behind the closed door.

In the back of the room, near the door that was marked incinerator were the objects that caused my distress: two wheelbarrows, filled with the bodies of dead kittens and puppies. I stared in horror. Nothing had prepared me for this. I felt my legs grow weak and my breathing became rapid and shallow. I wanted to run from that room, screaming.

Peggy seemed not to notice my state of shock. She started talking about the euthanization process, but I wasn't hearing her. I could not tear my gaze away from the wheelbarrows and those dozens of pathetic little bodies. Finally, Peggy seemed to notice that I was not paying attention to her. "Are you listening?," she asked irritably. "I'm only going to go through this once." I tore my gaze from the back of the room and looked at her. I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing would come out, so I nodded.

She told me that behind the unmarked door were the animals that were scheduled for euthanasia that day. She picked up a chart that was hanging from the wall. "One fifty three is next," she said as she looked at the chart. "I'll go get him." She laid down the chart on the examining table and started for the unmarked door. Before she got to the door she stopped and turned around. "You aren't going to get hysterical, are you?", she asked, "Because that will only upset the animals." I shook my head. I had not said a word since I walked into that room. I still felt unsure if would be able to without breaking down into tears.

As Peggy opened the unmarked door I peered into the room beyond. It was a small room, but the walls were lined and stacked with cages. It looked like they were all occupied. Peggy opened the door of one of the lower cages and removed the occupant. From what I could see it looked like a medium-sized dog. She attached a leash and ushered the dog into the room in which I stood.

As Peggy brought the dog into the room I could see that the dog was no more than a puppy, maybe five or six months old. The pup looked to be a cross between a Lab and a German shepherd. He was mostly black, with a small amount of tan above his eyes and on his feet. He was very excited and bouncing up and down, trying to sniff everything in this new environment.

Peggy lifted the pup onto the table. She had a card in her hand, which she laid on the table next to me. I read the card. It said that number one fifty three was a mixed Shepherd, six months old. He was surrendered two days ago by a family. Reason of surrender was given as "jumps on children." At the bottom was a note that said "Name: Sam."

Peggy was quick and efficient, from lots of practice, I guessed. She laid one fifty three down on his side and tied a rubber tourniquet around his front leg. She turned to fill the syringe from the vial of clear liquid. All this time I was standing at the head of the table. I could see the moment that one fifty three went from a curious puppy to a terrified puppy. He did not like being held down and he started to struggle.

It was then that I finally found my voice. I bent over the struggling puppy and whispered "Sam. Your name is Sam." At the sound of his name Sam quit struggling. He wagged his tail tentatively and his soft pink tongue darted out and licked my hand. And that is how he spent his last moment. I watched his eyes fade from hopefulness to nothingness. It was over very quickly. I had never even seen Peggy give the lethal shot. The tears could not be contained any longer. I kept my head down so as not to embarrass myself in front of the stoic Peggy. My tears fell onto the still body on the table.

"Now you know," Peggy said softly. Then she turned away. "Ron will be waiting for you." I left the room. Although it seemed like it had been hours, only fifteen minutes had gone by since Ron had left me at the door. I made my way back to the reception area. True to his word, Ron had the puppy all ready to go. After giving me some instructions about what to feed the puppy, he handed the carrying cage over to me and wished me good luck on my speech.

That night I went home and spent many hours playing with the orphan puppy. I went to bed that night but I could not sleep. After a while I got up and looked at my speech notes with their numbers and statistics. Without a second thought, I tore them up and threw them away. I went back to bed. Sometime during the night I finally fell asleep.

The next morning I arrived at my Speech class with Puppy Doe. When my turn came to give my speech. I walked up to the front the class with he puppy in my arms. I took a deep breath, and I told the class about the life and death of Sam. When I finished my speech I became aware that I was crying. I apologized to the class and took my seat. After class the teacher handed out a critique with our grades. I got an "A." His comments said "Very moving and persuasive."

Two days later, on the last day of class, one of my classmates came up to me. She was an older lady that I had never spoken to in class. She stopped me on our way out of the class room. "I want you to know that I adopted the puppy you brought to class," she said.

"His name is Sam."

lilith_rizel

June 10th, 2005, 04:56 PM

Dragonfly, that story is so sad. I don't know how anyone could not fix their pet after readin that.

Schwinn

June 10th, 2005, 05:06 PM

Okay, I must now go and wipe the tears from my eyes.

BMDLuver

June 10th, 2005, 05:07 PM

Thanks for sharing that. I hope that I will get to see a time when there will be no more Sams. :sad:

Daisy's Owner

June 11th, 2005, 08:52 AM

http://bestsmileys.com/crying/2.gif I have to go hug my puppy now.

pooker

June 12th, 2005, 12:46 PM

Dragonfly, I have a lump in my throat, I wish it was mandatory for all pet owners to see what its like before they get a pet. P.S. I never say OFF if I can help it, but some times it slips out!!!Ha Ha. Pooker and Jack

Angeleyes1437

June 16th, 2005, 02:56 PM

I have read many stories like that... and I cry like a baby everytime. If anyone walks into my office right now they will think I am nuts! Crying at work! :( There are SOOOO many Sams everyday- it kills me to think about it. It's also a shame that we, the group of people who would never surrender our dogs and who care about these causes are the only ones who seek out these sad stories. Copy, paste and send it to all of the people who are clueless... let them shed a tear for once. :mad:

Melinda

June 20th, 2005, 08:37 AM

I just printed out 6 copies for the other members in our "puppy" kindergarten obedience class. Thank you.

angie79

June 20th, 2005, 09:21 AM

that is so sad, can't help but look at my pup and cry... my little guy jumps on people but thats my fault, not his.
not only is nutering the moral of the story but commitment, I wish the all people selling animals were as stick on thier interviews as my breeder a 1 hour interview to see if i was acceptable before even showing me the pup.
Sadly moving season is upon us brining so many sams

nymph

June 20th, 2005, 12:03 PM

http://bestsmileys.com/crying/9.gif

JessXx

June 25th, 2005, 10:20 PM

http://smilies.sofrayt.com/fdm/crying.gif
oh my gosh. Thats an amazing story, its so moving, so touching... so ... sad. ITs so moving to read that...
I dont know words to describe what Im feeling right now, there are no words to describe the way I feel. I'm so sad. Its something very touching and very useful to know, Sam, theres too many Sams...
Theres too many little puppies who wag their tails and jump up, trying to lick peoples faces, only to be put on that metal table and lied down to be killed, in fear and confusion...
Too many little kittens trying to find warmth in the persons arms and being put on that table scared as hell then killed...
Its the sad truth. I am totally speachless. http://smilies.sofrayt.com/fdm/sobbing.gif

.sarah

August 23rd, 2005, 01:10 AM

This is so sad. I should print out several copies as handouts for clients at work (a vet). Maybe this'll get people who just "don't want to" spay/neuter to finally do it!

doggy lover

August 30th, 2005, 07:54 AM

When I had to put Travis to sleep, it was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life to watch him die there on the table. The only relief I got was from knowing that it would end his suffering from the bone cancer that he had. But to stand there and watch them destroy perfectly healthy animals I couldn't handle it. I wanted to be a vet growing up but didn't do it because of what you have read about these poor unwanted pets. I ended up working in a Nursing home, yes I see people die more than I care to remember, but they have lived their life, and most are suffering so its not always a bad thing. If I could get another dog now, I would get a rescue, I am thinking about doing fostering when I retire (but I have a few years to that happens) as I will be living in the country with 16 acres for the dogs to run, the only problem is knowing me I'd end up keeping them all. My heart goes out to all the Sam's in the world and all the people that deal with this day in and day out, I could never do their jobs, it takes a very special person.

nokia/clinger

January 27th, 2006, 01:13 PM

I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW YOU CAN NOT SPAY/NUETER YOU'R PETS
IS IT NOT COMMON SENCE THERE A MEMBER OF YOU'R FAMILY I KNOW MY
NOKIA IS MY CHILD NOT FIXING HER WHEN WE GOT HER!!!! WOULD OF BEEN A PROBLEM I BELIEVE LEAVE THE BREEDING TO THE BREEDERS :mad:

THE BREEDER WE WENT TO HAD JUST ONE PAIR AND THEY WERE HER KIDS BUT AA CONDITION OF SALE WAS SPAY NOKIA WHEN SHE WAS OLD ENOUGH

HunterXHunter

January 27th, 2006, 03:29 PM

That was sad indeed...I just cut/pasted it and sent one out to everyone in my addressbook...

I want to leave work now and go hug my Hunter

Cricket

March 17th, 2006, 08:11 PM

I have to agree - if people are not responsible enough to get their pet fixed then they should as well not have any option in birth control - I'm sure after 6 or 7 or maybe it would only take 3 unexpected childen that they would change their minds.

You have to apply if you want to adopt a child - why any different then a cat or a dog!

kristi_021

April 24th, 2006, 11:07 PM

That was so sad. I had to quit sobbing before I could post this. I am emailing this story to everyone I know, and will pass out at work and school too.

bellabradley

May 1st, 2006, 02:16 PM

thats so sad how could anyone give a puppy away just because he jumps. it makes me want to out and adopt all the puppies from shelter.:pawprint:

LynLyn

November 21st, 2006, 03:33 PM

This makes me sooo sad, i had to grab my Bowser and give him a hug and wipe the tears in my eyes. I HATE HATE HATE people that go out and get a dog without thinking first. I hate selfish people that would rather get rid of their pets than to take the time to TRAIN them, if you're willing to shell out money to buy a pet, spend a LEETLE!! extra money and take them to school! I've taken Bowser to school for less than $100 dollars for an 8 week course!! Do some research! I hate that I can't yell at the idiots that do this! Everyone on this forum already knows better, if only I knew the email address of all those idiots!:mad:

TMac

November 22nd, 2006, 07:28 PM

Thank you for posting this, Dragonfly. It hurts me to read it but it is too true. I've started volunteering at the shelter as well as visiting every 2 days looking for our lost cat so I am around the shelter a lot lately and have been over-hearing some stuff in the area where pets are given up by owners.

Heard one tonight that broke my heart - I think the reason was supposed to be allergies the new baby developed (the baby was there with the mom, dad, and brother so its possible that it is true). But it was so sad to see the old guy be taken to the back, tail wagging, not knowing any different. He looked old but wonderful. If I don't see him on the adoption page I will know what happened to him.. :sad:

Yolanda Hamilto

June 15th, 2007, 06:11 AM

I found this online and wanted to share. Please have tissue handy. I have made it a sticky because I think that everyone who wants to breed their dog should have to read this.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Editor's Note: The following story was received by me via a friend with Border Collies. Even though it is not specifically about Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, I chose to leave it as is. It is a very relevant story about what happens to dogs that are unplanned for. The author, Chris Benton, has given permission to reprint it here and permission for you to use and pass on to everyone. Her recommendation is that every person, who takes an obedience class or gets a puppy, should have a copy of this story. I agree with that recommendation. MzTook

My Name Is Sam
by Chris Benton

After I was discharged from the Navy, Jim and I moved back to Detroit to use our GI Bill benefits to get some schooling. Jim was going for a degree in Electronics and I, after much debating, decided to get mine in Computer Science. One of the classes that was a requirement was Speech.

Like many people, I had no fondness for getting up in front of people for any reason, let alone to be the center of attention as I stuttered my way through some unfamiliar subject. But I couldn't get out of the requirement, and so I found myself in my last semester before graduation with Speech as one of my classes.

On the first day of class our professor explained to us that he was going to leave the subject manner of our talks up to us, but he was going to provide the motivation of the speech. We would be responsible for six speeches, each with a different motivation. For instance our first speech's purpose was to inform. He advised us to pick subjects that we were interested in and knowledgeable about. I decided to center my six speeches around animals, especially dogs.

For my first speech to inform, I talked about the equestrian art of dressage. For my speech to demonstrate, I brought my German Shepherd, Bodger, to class and demonstrated obedience commands. Finally the semester was almost over and I had but one more speech to give. This speech was to take the place of a written final exam and was to count for fifty per cent of our grade. The speeches motivation was to persuade.

After agonizing over a subject matter, and keeping with my animal theme, I decided on the topic of spaying and neutering pets. My goal was to try to persuade my classmates to neuter their pets. So I started researching the topic. There was plenty of material, articles that told of the millions of dogs and cats that were euthanized every year, of supposedly beloved pets that were turned in to various animal control facilities for the lamest of reasons, or worse, dropped off far from home, bewildered and scared. Death was usually a blessing.

The final speech was looming closer, but I felt well prepared. My notes were full of facts and statistics that I felt sure would motivate even the most naive of pet owners to succumb to my plea. A couple of days before our speeches were due, I had the bright idea of going to the local branch of the Humane Society and borrowing a puppy to use as a sort of a visual aid. I called the Humane Society and explained what I wanted. They were very happy to accommodate me. I made arrangements to pick up a puppy the day before my speech.

The day before my speech, I went to pick up the puppy. I was feeling very confident. I could quote all the statistics and numbers without ever looking at my notes. The puppy, I felt, would add the final emotional touch. When I arrived at the Humane Society I was met by a young guy named Ron. He explained that he was the public relations person for the Humane Society.

He was very excited about my speech and asked if I would like a tour of the facilities before I picked up the puppy. I enthusiastically agreed. We started out in the reception area, which was the general public's initial encounter with the Humane Society. The lobby was full, mostly with people dropping off various animals that they no longer wanted Ron explained to me that this branch of the Humane Society took in about fifty animals a day and adopted out twenty.

As we stood there I heard snatches of conversation: "I can't keep him, he digs holes in my garden." "They such cute puppies, I know you will have no trouble finding homes for them." "She is wild, I can't control her." I heard one of Humane Society's volunteer explain to the lady with the litter of puppies that the Society was filled with puppies and that these puppies, being black, would immediately be put to sleep. Black puppies, she explained, had little chance of being adopted. The woman who brought the puppies in just shrugged, "I can't help it," she whined. "They are getting too big. I don't have room for them."

We left the reception area. Ron led me into the staging area where all the incoming animals were evaluated for adoptability. Over half never even made it to the adoption center. There were just too many. Not only were people bringing in their own animals, but strays were also dropped off. By law the Humane Society had to hold a stray for three days. If the animal was not claimed by then, it was euthanized, since there was no background information on the animal.

There were already too many animals that had a known history eagerly provided by their soon to be ex-owners. As we went through the different areas, I felt more and more depressed. No amount of statistics, could take the place of seeing the reality of what this throw-away attitude did to the living, breathing animal. It was over overwhelming.

Finally Ron stopped in front of a closed door. "That's it," he said, "except for this." I read the sign on the door. "Euthanization Area." "Do you want to see one?" he asked. Before I could decline, he interjected, "You really should. You can't tell the whole story unless you experience the end." I reluctantly agreed.

"Good," He said " I already cleared it and Peggy is expecting you." He knocked firmly on the door. It was opened immediately by a middle aged woman in a white lab coat. "Here's the girl I was telling you about," Ron explained. Peggy looked me over. "Well I'll leave you here with Peggy and meet you in the reception area in about fifteen minutes. I'll have the puppy ready." With that Ron departed, leaving me standing in front of the stern-looking Peggy.

Peggy motioned me in. As I walked into the room, I gave an audible gasp. The room was small and spartan. There were a couple of cages on the wall and a cabinet with syringes and vials of a clear liquid. In the middle of the room was an examining table with a rubber mat on top. There were two doors other than the one I had entered. Both were closed. One said to the incinerator room, and the other had no sign, but I could hear various animal noises coming from behind the closed door.

In the back of the room, near the door that was marked incinerator were the objects that caused my distress: two wheelbarrows, filled with the bodies of dead kittens and puppies. I stared in horror. Nothing had prepared me for this. I felt my legs grow weak and my breathing became rapid and shallow. I wanted to run from that room, screaming.

Peggy seemed not to notice my state of shock. She started talking about the euthanization process, but I wasn't hearing her. I could not tear my gaze away from the wheelbarrows and those dozens of pathetic little bodies. Finally, Peggy seemed to notice that I was not paying attention to her. "Are you listening?," she asked irritably. "I'm only going to go through this once." I tore my gaze from the back of the room and looked at her. I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing would come out, so I nodded.

She told me that behind the unmarked door were the animals that were scheduled for euthanasia that day. She picked up a chart that was hanging from the wall. "One fifty three is next," she said as she looked at the chart. "I'll go get him." She laid down the chart on the examining table and started for the unmarked door. Before she got to the door she stopped and turned around. "You aren't going to get hysterical, are you?", she asked, "Because that will only upset the animals." I shook my head. I had not said a word since I walked into that room. I still felt unsure if would be able to without breaking down into tears.

As Peggy opened the unmarked door I peered into the room beyond. It was a small room, but the walls were lined and stacked with cages. It looked like they were all occupied. Peggy opened the door of one of the lower cages and removed the occupant. From what I could see it looked like a medium-sized dog. She attached a leash and ushered the dog into the room in which I stood.

As Peggy brought the dog into the room I could see that the dog was no more than a puppy, maybe five or six months old. The pup looked to be a cross between a Lab and a German shepherd. He was mostly black, with a small amount of tan above his eyes and on his feet. He was very excited and bouncing up and down, trying to sniff everything in this new environment.

Peggy lifted the pup onto the table. She had a card in her hand, which she laid on the table next to me. I read the card. It said that number one fifty three was a mixed Shepherd, six months old. He was surrendered two days ago by a family. Reason of surrender was given as "jumps on children." At the bottom was a note that said "Name: Sam."

Peggy was quick and efficient, from lots of practice, I guessed. She laid one fifty three down on his side and tied a rubber tourniquet around his front leg. She turned to fill the syringe from the vial of clear liquid. All this time I was standing at the head of the table. I could see the moment that one fifty three went from a curious puppy to a terrified puppy. He did not like being held down and he started to struggle.

It was then that I finally found my voice. I bent over the struggling puppy and whispered "Sam. Your name is Sam." At the sound of his name Sam quit struggling. He wagged his tail tentatively and his soft pink tongue darted out and licked my hand. And that is how he spent his last moment. I watched his eyes fade from hopefulness to nothingness. It was over very quickly. I had never even seen Peggy give the lethal shot. The tears could not be contained any longer. I kept my head down so as not to embarrass myself in front of the stoic Peggy. My tears fell onto the still body on the table.

"Now you know," Peggy said softly. Then she turned away. "Ron will be waiting for you." I left the room. Although it seemed like it had been hours, only fifteen minutes had gone by since Ron had left me at the door. I made my way back to the reception area. True to his word, Ron had the puppy all ready to go. After giving me some instructions about what to feed the puppy, he handed the carrying cage over to me and wished me good luck on my speech.

That night I went home and spent many hours playing with the orphan puppy. I went to bed that night but I could not sleep. After a while I got up and looked at my speech notes with their numbers and statistics. Without a second thought, I tore them up and threw them away. I went back to bed. Sometime during the night I finally fell asleep.

The next morning I arrived at my Speech class with Puppy Doe. When my turn came to give my speech. I walked up to the front the class with he puppy in my arms. I took a deep breath, and I told the class about the life and death of Sam. When I finished my speech I became aware that I was crying. I apologized to the class and took my seat. After class the teacher handed out a critique with our grades. I got an "A." His comments said "Very moving and persuasive."

Two days later, on the last day of class, one of my classmates came up to me. She was an older lady that I had never spoken to in class. She stopped me on our way out of the class room. "I want you to know that I adopted the puppy you brought to class," she said.

"His name is Sam."

Thank you Dragonfly for sharing this sad story. How can anybody give up on this so faithful loving animals? :dog: My dogs Ellie & Benz are as part of my family as any of us. To give them away is like giving away your own children. Not fair. thanks yolanda:grouphug:

snoopymjm

January 17th, 2008, 01:53 AM

We too, have a dog named Sam. However, we call her Sammie. Our son wanted a male dog, and we fell in love with Sammie. So we gave her a unisex name. (Samantha) We have waited over 12 years to adopt a dog. Our daughter is 12 and our son just made 5 - we wanted to make sure he was the right age for a new dog in our home. We adopted Sammie on 12/31/08 from the Humane Society. We had her spayed and microchipped and 8 days later, she went missing from our fenced back yard after I had been gone only 1 hour. We were so scared, because she had not yet bonded with us but only for a week.

I sent out flyers, notified 24 hr petwatch, our animal control officer, and did daily walk throughs at our Humane Society. We were heartbroken. On January 11, a woman with a local rescue league saw my flyer and told me that a man had a beagle dumped in his yard a few days earlier. I had to check it out.

When we got there, this sweet little creature was tethered by a 3-4 foot rope to the back of a camper. She was living outdoors in a turned over garbage can and sleeping, eliminating, and eating within a 3 foot radius.

We rescued the dog, took her home, bathed her, fed her, and kept her warm.
I took her to our vet and she was very ill. She tested positive for hook, round, whip, and heart worms. It is a miracle this animal was still alive, because she was severely malnourished. My son and daughter named her Snoopy.

I sent out SOS's to local rescue groups to get their help. By the Grace of God, Terri responded to my call. Terri has taken good care of her. Snoopy had to be transfused, but she is coming around.

It is an amazing miracle she is still alive. This dog, Snoopy was meant to survive and I believe she will because she is a tough cookie. Her blood work was unbelievable. And yes, I do believe it was a sign from God that we found this dog and also got our Sammie back.

I was at the right place at the right time when I got a tip on Sammie's location. I set up a time to meet Terri to drop Snoopy off to her. I told her to meet me at the Humane Society in Gulfport, because I had to do my daily walk through in Lost/found-surrender to try to find Sammie. Right after I handed over Snoopy to Terri for care, I walked in and met a woman who was picking up her lost Lab. She happens to be a vet tech and animal lover. She told me that "I have seen that dog hanging out in my neighborhood - It IS your dog."

I followed her home and she helped me try to catch her. We couldn't, because she was scared and didn't recognize me. So I stayed there until my husband got home from work and we both were able to get her. If that isn't Divine Providence then I don't know what is. If I had not been there at THAT place and at THAT time, I would have never met this woman or located our Sammie. God IS merciful. I do believe that Sammie's disappearance was a way for us to find and help this little beagle we call Snoopy. And, I believe that God has blessed us with finding our Sammie. :angel:

ILoveMyBerner

April 10th, 2008, 09:17 PM

Oh man....if I have spelling mistakes, it's only because I can't see through my tears.
We lost our beloved dog Lucky, in Feb. because of old age and kidney failure. It still hurts a lot especially reading something like this. I only wish I had the money and space to go into a kill shelter and grab all the animals that were going to die and give them a good life.
I really thought she was going to save the pup....I was hoping. It did have a wonderful ending....but I can't help but cry for all the poor animals who died today and will die tomorrow because of careless owners.:sad:

aslan

April 11th, 2008, 07:43 AM

After reading this, wiping away the tears and cuddling my furballs, i promptly read another post by an inexperience person wanting to breed. So i wanted to put this back on the front page.

aslan

April 11th, 2008, 08:38 AM

bumped for brohnson.

brohnson

April 11th, 2008, 10:43 AM

this is very moving, and for this I say that I may still breed someday down the road, but I'll make sure my i's are dotted and my t's are crossed. thanks :cry::angel:

jump_at_the_sun

October 7th, 2009, 11:11 PM

Wow... I'm definitely not tough enough to work at the SPCA! I do work at a kennel and I'm going to hug all 33 dogs this weekend... Over and over and over again!

end user

October 10th, 2009, 04:11 AM

Damn brigs back memories of when I was 10 and a friend of mine found a cat that drank antifreeze and was very sick. He asked me to help him carry the cat to the vet clinic which was about three blocks away. At the vet (first time I was ever at a vet) the doctor look the cat over and said it was not going to make it and would have to be put down. She also asked us whose cat it was and that there was going to be a charge ($200 zloty - Polish money) I said I would pay for it but would have to come back with the money in a few days.

She then injected the cat with something. The cats breathing slowly slowed down until about a minute later when it made this huge gasp for air and everything stopped. I've never seen anything like that before its was quite terrifying/upsetting and I was use to killing chickens (cut their heads off) on my grandparents farm when my grandma needed one for chicken soup.

After seeing the cat take is huge last breath my view on killing animals was never the same.

krdahmer

October 10th, 2009, 01:03 PM

:cry: The day I read this I cried so hard I had to step away from the computer and wasn't able to reply.... but it is so touching and honest and a story that needs to be relayed to so many, that I came back today, copied and pasted it and sent it to all my email contacts, asking them to do the same.... I just wish I had it with me at the vets the other day when I was trying to convince a man whose 8 month old puppy had just been hit by a car because she was in heat and had run out, that he shouldn't be considering breeding her (I mentioned that she was prob old enough to get fixed so it wouldn't happen again and he casually mentions he wants her to have a few litters first! :wall:) I'm going to take a copy to my vet and ask them to post it in the waiting room too.

princessuperman

October 3rd, 2010, 01:43 PM

:cry:

Sad. People need to think about their circumstances before owning a pet.

Would you give up your daughter or son ... How is your dog any different?

...

Shaykeija

October 3rd, 2010, 03:31 PM

There are just too many Sams out there. I wish I could save them all...